Pet-play apparatus configured for interactive and solo use

ABSTRACT

A pet-play apparatus ( 20 ) for interactive use with a pet ( 24 ) and solo use by the pet ( 24 ) incorporates a crop ( 22 ) formed as a wand ( 30 ) or a loop ( 38 ), a lash ( 26 ) formed of a fabric tube ( 42 ), one end ( 32 ) of the lash ( 32 ) being affixed to the crop ( 22 ), and a toy ( 28 ) detachably coupled to another end ( 36 ) of the lash ( 26 ). A hook-and-loop attachment device ( 62 ), having a hook part ( 70 ) and a loop part ( 72 ), is affixed to the lash ( 26 ). A similar hook-and-loop attachment device ( 64 ), also having a hook part ( 78 ) and a loop part ( 80 ), is affixed to the toy ( 28 ). When the pet-play apparatus ( 20 ) is configured for interactive use, the lash hook part ( 70 ) is engaged with the toy loop part ( 80 ) and the lash loop part ( 72 ) is engaged with the toy hook part ( 78 ), both attachment devices ( 62, 69 ) being located within the toy ( 28 ). When the pet-play apparatus ( 20 ) is configured for solo use, the toy hook part ( 78 ) is engaged with the toy loop part ( 80 ).

RELATED PATENTS

The present invention is related to “APPARATUS FOR HOLDING A QUANTITY OFSTUFFING MATERIAL AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING SAME,” by Sharon A. Ritchey,U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/612,385, filed Mar. 7, 1996,incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of pet toys. Morespecifically, the present invention relates to pet toys configured forinteractive use between owner and pet and solo use by a pet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are many pet-play apparatuses for interactive use between a petand its owner utilizing a crop-lash-toy design approach. Pet-playapparatuses of this type stimulate the hunting and pouncing instinctsand are most often used with small carnivorous pets, such as cats,ferrets, toy dogs, and the like.

Conventionally, such pet-play apparatuses are manufactured using string,twine, elastic cordage, monofilament line, picture wire, or otherstring-like materials as the lash. This poses several inherent dangersto the pet.

When a lash is formed of a string-like material, the pet may chew andingest this material. Once ingested, this material can bind in the pet'sintestines, resulting in intestinal distress, or even death. This isespecially true of cats, which instinctively chew, sever, and ingest thelash.

Additionally, the chewing of some of these materials, especiallymonofilament line and picture wire, may chip or otherwise damage thepet's teeth, especially the carnassial teeth, may produce gomphiasis,and may lacerate the gingiva. All such conditions are injurious and/orunpleasant for the pet and potentially expensive for the owner.

Also, the pet may become entangled in the lash during play. Thisentanglement may cut off the flow of blood to a portion of the body or,if around the neck, may cut off the flow of air. A pet so entangled willtypically panic, exacerbating the entanglement. If not freed, the petmay be strangled or risk permanent injury or death from loss of bloodflow.

Many such pet-play apparatuses use an attachment device in the form of aclip, ring, or button to attach the lash to the suspended toy. This isespecially true of those pet-play apparatuses where the toy is separablefrom the lash and may be used as an independent toy for solo use by thepet. In such an attachment device, the clip, ring, or button is oftenmade of a hard plastic or metal.

Such devices may be bitten or chewed free or may simply break freeduring play. Furthermore, chewing of plastic devices may distort andbreak off pieces thereof, often leaving sharp edges and corners.Ingestion of these devices or portions thereof exposes the pet toseveral dangers. Choking may occur if the size, inflexibility, shape,and/or sharp edges of the object inhibit swallowing. Blockage,laceration, and/or perforation of the esophagus, stomach, or intestinesmay occur, especially if the object or object portion has sharp edges orpoints. Peritonitis may occur as a complication of perforation. Sincemany plastics and metals are either inherently toxic or produce toxicsubstances when exposed to acids (i.e., digestive fluids), poisoning isa distinct possibility. In addition, biting or chewing an attachmentdevice formed of metal or hard plastic may chip or otherwise damage thepet's teeth, especially the laniary and carnassial teeth, may producegomphiasis, and may lacerate the gingiva. All such conditions areunpleasant, injurious and/or possibly fatal to the pet. The correctionof such conditions, where possible, is potentially expensive for theowner.

What is needed, therefore, is a pet-play apparatus of the crop-lash-toytype that is formed of materials that are not potentially injurious tothe pet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an advantage of the present invention that a pet-playapparatus for interactive use with a pet and solo use by a pet isprovided.

It is an advantage of one embodiment of the present invention thatattachment devices are provided that are made of substantiallynon-metallic material.

It is advantage of one embodiment of the present invention thatattachment devices are provided that are made of a fabric.

It is another advantage of one embodiment of the present invention thata lash is provided that is made of a fabric tube.

The above and other advantages of the present invention are carried outin one form by a pet-play apparatus configured for interactive use witha pet and solo use by a pet, wherein the pet-play apparatus includes acrop, a lash having a first end affixed to the crop and a second end,and a suspended toy detachably coupled to the second end of the lash.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention may be derived byreferring to the detailed description and claims when considered inconnection with the Figures, wherein like reference numbers refer tosimilar items throughout the Figures, and:

FIG. 1 depicts a pet-play apparatus having a wand-shaped crop in use ininteractive use with a pet in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2 depicts a pet-play apparatus having a loop-shaped crop in use ininteractive use in accordance with an alternative preferred embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional view of a lash of the pet-playapparatus of FIG. 1 wherein the lash is a strip of fabric in accordancewith a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 depicts a cross-sectional view of a lash of the pet-playapparatus of FIG. 1 wherein the lash is a tube of fabric in accordancewith a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 depicts a toy detached from the pet-play apparatus of FIG. 1 inuse in solo use by a pet in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 6 depicts a side view of a portion of a lash of the pet-playapparatus of FIG. 1 showing an attachment device affixed to the lash inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 depicts a side view of a the toy of FIG. 5 in accordance with apreferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 depicts a top view of the toy of FIG. 5 showing an attachmentdevice within an opening in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view depicting the lash coupled to thetoy of the pet-play apparatus of FIG. 1 in accordance with a preferredembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 and 2 depict a pet-play apparatus 20 having a wand-shaped crop22 (FIG. 1) or a loop-shaped crop (FIG. 2) in use in interactive usewith a pet 24 in accordance with a preferred embodiments of the presentinvention.

Pet-play apparatus 20 is a whip-type apparatus that includes crop 22,lash 26, and toy 28. Crop 22 is typically a wand 30 (FIG. 1), allowinginteractive use in a “fishing-pole” manner. One end (a crop end) 32 oflash 26 is affixed to an end 34 of crop 22. Toy 28 is suspended from andcoupled to another end (a dangling end) 36 of lash 26. When crop 22 isheld in an appropriate position, toy 28 may be made to dangle in frontof pet 24. Suitable movements of crop 22 will cause toy 28 to bobble,bounce, wiggle, scoot across the floor, and otherwise move to attractthe attention of pet 24. Toy 28 may therefore be made to move in amanner simulating prey. This stimulates the hunting and pouncinginstincts of pet 24 and provides activity and play for both pet 24 andits playmate (i.e., the person in control of crop 22).

Alternatively, crop 22 may be formed into a loop 38 (FIG. 2) forinteractive use in a dragging manner. While the movements of toy 28 maybe reduced somewhat in this embodiment, other types of play areenhanced, including play by small children for whom wand 30 (FIG. 1) maybe undesirable. This embodiment has an added benefit in that loop 38 maybe placed over a protrusion (such as a doorknob) so as to leave toy 28dangling and provide solo use by pet 24. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that loop 38 may be fabricated so as to be contiguous withlash 26 without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Lash 26 would desirably be formed of non-metallic and non-string-likematerials resistant to being severed by chewing and formed to inhibitentanglement. Similarly, toy 28 would desirably be attached to lash 26by a fastener or fasteners made of non-metallic materials not assumingthe form of a ring, clip, button or the like. Desirably, all suchmaterials for either lash 26 or toy 28 would be non-toxic and would notproduce toxic substances in the presence of digestive fluids. All suchmaterials would be soft enough to not damage the teeth, gingiva, orother mouthparts of pet 24. Desirably, toy 28 should be readilydetachable from lash 26 for independent (solo) use by pet 24, yet easilyre-attachable for interactive use.

FIGS. 3 and 4 depict a cross-sectional view of lash 26 of pet-playapparatus 20, wherein lash 26 is a strip 40 (FIG. 3) or a tube 42 (FIG.4) of fabric 44 in accordance with preferred embodiments of the presentinvention. The following discussion refers to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4.

In a first preferred embodiment (FIG. 3), lash 26 is formed of strip 40of fabric 44. Strip 40 has a width 46 and a length 48 (FIG. 6)substantially greater than width 46. Length 48 substantially defines anoverall length of lash 26.

If cut across the warp, i.e., along the weft, of fabric 44, strip 40will tend to curl in the direction of width 46 into a tube-like shape.This provides a thinner, more tail-like appearance for lash 26 thanwould be provided by a flat strip 40. This tail-like shape is moreattractive to pet 24 while simultaneously increasing the life of lash 26by inhibiting unraveling of fabric 44 when chewed by pet 24.

In a second preferred embodiment (FIG. 4), strip 40 is sewn into a tube42 of a diameter 50 and length 48 (FIG. 6) substantially greater thandiameter 50. For cosmetic purposes, tube 42 may be turned inside out(i.e., a sewn seam 52 may be placed on an inside 54 of tube 42). Bybeing so formed, lash 26 has a more tail-like appearance and moreeffectively inhibits unraveling.

In the preferred embodiments, fabric 44 is a fake fur 56 with a nap 58on the outside of the curl of strip 40 (FIG. 3) or on an externalsurface 60 of tube 42 (FIG. 4). This increases the tail-like appearanceof lash 26.

FIG. 5 depicts toy 28 detached from lash 26 in use in solo use by pet24. FIG. 6 depicts a side view of a portion of lash 26 showing anattachment device 62 affixed to lash 26. FIG. 7 depicts a side view oftoy 28 and FIG. 8 depicts a top view of toy 28 showing an attachmentdevice 64 within an opening 66. FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional viewdepicting lash 26 coupled to toy 28 in accordance with a preferredembodiment of the present invention. The following discussion refers toFIGS. 1, 2, and 5 through 9.

In the preferred embodiment, lash 26 detachably couples to toy 28 (i.e.,toy 28 may be attached to or detached from lash 26 at will). This allowstoy 28 to be a suspended toy (i.e., attached to lash 26) for interactiveuse with pet 24 (FIGS. 1 and 2) or an independent toy (i.e., detachedfrom lash 26) for solo use by pet 24 (FIG. 5). To accomplish this, lashattachment device 62 is affixed to dangling end 36 of lash 26 (FIGS. 6and 9) and toy attachment device 64 is affixed to (within) toy 28 (FIGS.8 and 9). Attachment devices 62 and 64 detachably couple to each other,thereby detachably coupling toy 28 to lash 26.

In the preferred embodiment, toy 28 (FIGS. 7, 8, and 9) is constructedas a pouch 68 or to have a pouch 68. The Figures demonstrate toy 28 inthe shape of a mouse, but those skilled in the art will appreciate thatthe shape of toy 28 is not a requirement of the present invention andthat any desired shape may be used. Desirably, the construction of toy28 is substantially similar to the construction of the apparatus of thepatent hereinbefore referenced in the RELATED PATENTS section. Thoseskilled in the art will appreciate, however, that other types ofconstruction may be used for toy 28 without departing from the spirit ofthe present invention.

When formed as or to include pouch 68, toy 28 has opening 66. Desirably,toy attachment device 64 is located within opening 66, hence withinpouch 68 and the body of toy 28. Therefore, when lash attachment device62 is attached to toy attachment device 64, both lash attachment device62 and toy attachment device 64 are concealed within the body of toy 28.This inhibits the detachment of attachment devices 62 and 64 duringplay, as well as improves the appearance and esthetics of pet-playapparatus 20.

It is desirable that attachment devices 62 and 64 be made of flexibleand substantially non-metallic materials. Additionally, it is desirablethat attachment devices 62 and 64 not have hard parts which may beeither detached or broken into sharp fragments and ingested during play,i.e., by biting or chewing.

In the preferred embodiment, attachment devices 62 and 64 are desirablyflexible fabric-backed hook-and-loop fasteners, such as VELCRO. Eachattachment device 62 or 64 includes opposing pieces of flexible fabrictape, one having a front surface with a dense arrangement of tinypolymeric hooks and the other having a front surface with a densepolymeric pile, that interlock when pressed together. The back surfaceof each piece of fabric is substantially smooth.

Lash attachment device 62 is desirably affixed to dangling end 36 oflash 26 so that the back surfaces of a hook part 70 and a loop part 72of attachment device 62 are proximate and substantially parallel. Thatis, the front surfaces (the hooks and the loops) face outward insubstantially opposite directions. Lash attachment device 62 thereforeforms a hook-and-loop tab 74 at dangling end 36 of lash 26 (FIG. 6).

Toy attachment device 64 is desirably affixed to inner edges 76 ofopening 66 of toy 28 so that the back surface of a hook part 78 ofattachment device 64 is affixed to one inner edge 76 and the backsurface of a loop part 80 of attachment device 64 is affixed to anotherinner edge 76 with hook part 78 facing loop part 80. Toy attachmentdevice 64, in conjunction with opening 66, therefore forms ahook-and-loop slot 82 in toy 28 (FIG. 8).

With this arrangement, toy 28 may be coupled to lash 26 as a suspendedtoy by inserting tab 74 into slot 82 and closing opening 66 so that lashhook part 70 engages toy loop part 80 and lash loop part 72 engages toyhook part 78. Similarly, toy 28 may be used as an independent toy byclosing opening 66, without inserting tab 74, so that toy hook part 78engages toy loop part 80.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, while not a requirementof the present invention, stuffing 84, such as a catnip cachet or anoise-making device, may be inserted into pouch 68 through opening 66.Stuffing 84 serves to increase the bulk of toy 28 and/or provideolfactory or auditory stimulation to increase the attractiveness of toy28 to pet 24. The use of stuffing 84 does not depart from the spirit ofthe present invention.

In summary, the present invention teaches a pet-play apparatus 20configured for interactive use with pet 86 and solo use by pet 86.Hook-and-loop attachment devices 62 and 64 are taught that are made ofsubstantially non-metallic, polymeric fabric. A lash 26 is taught thatis made of a fabric strip 40 desirably sewn into a tube 42.

Although the preferred embodiments of the invention have beenillustrated and described in detail, it will be readily apparent tothose skilled in the art that various modifications may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A pet-play apparatus for interactive use with a pet and solo use by said pet, said pet-play apparatus comprising: a crop; a lash formed of a strip of a fabric, having a first end affixed to said crop, and having a second end; a toy detachably coupled to said second end of said lash; a first attachment device affixed to said lash and having a first hook part and a first loop part; and a second attachment device affixed to said toy and having a second hook part and a second loop part, wherein said second hook part detachably engages said first loop part and said second loop part detachably engages said first hook part when said pet-play apparatus is configured for interactive use with said pet, and wherein said second hook and loop parts detachably engage each other when said pet-play apparatus is configured for solo use by said pet.
 2. A pet-play apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second attachment device has a hook part and a loop part configured to engage said hook part when said pet-play apparatus is configured for solo use by said pet.
 3. A pet-play apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said strip of said fabric is configured as a tube of said fabric having a diameter and a length greater than said diameter.
 4. A pet-play apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein: said fabric is a fake fur having a nap upon an external surface of said tube.
 5. A pet-play apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said crop is formed as a wand.
 6. A pet-play apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said crop is formed as a loop, said loop being contiguous with said lash.
 7. A pet-play apparatus for interactive use with a pet and solo use by said pet, said pet-play apparatus comprising: a crop; a lash formed of a strip of a first fabric, having a first end affixed to said crop, and having a second end; a toy detachably coupled to said second end of said lash; a first hook-and-loop fastener affixed to said second end of said lash, made of a second fabric, and having a first hook part and a first loop part; and a second hook-and-loop fastener affixed to said toy, configured to detachably engage said first hook-and-loop fastener so as to couple said lash to said toy when said pet-play apparatus is configured for interactive use with said pet, made of said second fabric, and having a second hook part configured to detachably engage said first loop part, and a second loop part configured to detachably engage said first hook part.
 8. A pet-play apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said first and second hook-and-loop fasteners are fabricated of a substantially non-metallic material.
 9. A pet-play apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein: said toy has a pouch having an opening; said second hook-and-loop fastener is affixed to said toy within said pouch; and said first hook-and-loop fastener engages said second hook-and-loop fastener within said pouch so said first and second hook-and-loop fasteners are substantially concealed within said toy.
 10. A pet-play apparatus for interactive use with a pet, said pet-play apparatus comprising: a crop; a lash having a first end affixed to said crop and a second end; a first hook-and-loop fastener formed of fabric, affixed to said second end of said lash, and having a first hook part and a first loop part; a toy; and a second hook-and-loop fastener formed of fabric, affixed to said toy, and having a second hook part configured to attach to said first loop part and a second loop part configured to attach to said first hook part so as to couple said toy to said lash.
 11. A pet-play apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein: said first and second hook-and-loop fasteners are made of a first fabric; and said lash is formed of a strip of a second fabric.
 12. A pet-play apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said strip has a width and a length greater than said width.
 13. A pet-play apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said fabric is formed of substantially a non-metallic material.
 14. A pet-play apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said fabric is formed of a flexible material.
 15. A pet-play apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said fabric is formed of a polymeric material.
 16. A pet-play apparatus for interactive use with a pet and solo use by said pet, said pet-play apparatus comprising: a crop; a lash formed of a tube of a fabric having a diameter and a length greater than said diameter, said lash having a first end affixed to said crop and a second end; a first attachment device affixed to said second end of said lash and having a first hook part and a first loop part; a second attachment device having a second hook part and a second loop part, wherein said second hook part is configured to detachably couple to one of said first loop part and said second loop part and said second loop part is configured to detachably couple to one of said first hook part and said second hook part, respectively; and a toy affixed to said second attachment device and configured to couple to said lash. 